Getting a kick out of a tough World Cup

THE World Cup generates imperialistic and nationalistic nonsense, though better that every four years than an actual shooting war. Fair play, though, to the German team after their shock exit at the group stage. Their first tweet was to wish Sweden and Mexico the best as they progressed.

Hat off, too, to top historian Robin Schaefer, fresh from guiding Clydebank High SIR Ray Davies is a national treasure who gave us some of pop’s finest songs with The Kinks. I’m more interested in his new album than his views on Brexit, both of which he’s been touting this week, but he’s the subject of one of my big regrets. When The Kinks played Fife’s Rothes Halls in 1994, I gave the gig a miss. Sir Ray and brother Dave’s School pupils around Belgium’s Great War battlefields. Tweeting ‘Being stopped in Russia (again)’ was generous, especially for a German well-versed in the horrors of the Eastern Front in the Second World War.

Respect, too, to Scots popster Amy Macdonald, pictured, who said Germany’s build-up to their winning the Cup in 2014 included listening to her tunes. ‘It’s evident I’ve not been part of this year’s prep…’ relationship is infamously testy and I was sure the Glenrothes gig would feature a lesser substitute band after a falling-out between the Davies boys. How wrong I was – I missed a minor classic with the full line-up. To make matters worse, my darling wife did go – and whenever You Really Got Me strikes up, she reminds me of the fact.